LK Advani calls UPA-2 'illegitimate' in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: BJP leader LK Advani created a storm in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday by calling UPA-2 "illegitimate" but withdrew it after strong protests from Congress.

Advani, who came under strong attack with Congress president Sonia Gandhi leading from the front, later said he was referring to the 2008 confidence vote for which "crores of rupees were spent" to save the government.

Hell broke loose in the House soon after Advani spoke of the UPA-2 as 'illegitimate' while initiating a debate on the violence in Assam after Speaker Meira Kumar admitted an adjournment motion on the subject.

"The UPA-2 is illegitimate. It has never happened in the history of India ... crores of rupees were never spent to get votes," Advani said, provoking the treasury benches.

As an angry Gandhi strongly objected to the remark and apparently sought withdrawal of the comment, Leader of Lok Sabha Sushilkumar Shinde appealed to him to withdraw the words.

"Advani is a senior leader. We all respect him. But today he has said the entire (2009) election was illegitimate. This is an insult for all of us. I think he should withdraw his words," Shinde said in his first intervention as the Leader of the House.

The Speaker also reminded Advani that she had allowed adjournment motion as people were concerned about the situation in Assam. "But one word used by you has hurt the sentiments of everyone. If you want, you can withdraw it."

Advani admitted that he made a mistake by speaking about UPA-II and what he actually intended to say was the 2008 vote of confidence secured during the UPA-I. "My comments were on the confidence vote and not on election. ... Those who were whistle-blowers were sent to jail," he said.

Responding to the vociferous protests by Congress, DMK and Trinamool Congress members, Kumar had earlier asked Advani to withdraw his remarks and said she would go through the records and expunge any objectionable or unparliamentary word.

With the din continuing, the Speaker adjourned the House for lunch.

Before the adjournment, the senior BJP leader said he was referring to the alleged cash-for-vote scam that saw BJP MPs displaying wads of cash in the Lok Sabha during debate on the confidence motion, which they claimed was paid to them for voting in favour of the government.

The treasury benches, including ministers, were on their feet protesting Advani's remarks, with parliamentary affairs minister PK Bansal forcefully pointing out that Advani was digressing from the issue on which he was allowed to speak.

"He has made extraneous remarks which has denigrated the parliamentary system, the people and democracy," Bansal said.

Leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj clarified that Advani had not raised any unrelated issue. She said he was only pointing out the failure of the government on economic and social fronts, including checking infiltration in Assam.

Even after the adjournment, the atmosphere remained surcharged in the House with Sonia Gandhi, who is also the UPA chairperson, seen interacting with MPs and ministers.

The scene in the Opposition benches was also aggressive with some BJP members heard accusing the Congress of making a mountain of a molehill and dragging the matter in spite of a senior leader like Advani withdrawing his words.

Some BJP members also warned that the House would not be allowed to function smoothly if the Congress attitude remained as it was today.

Sonia furious

An angry Congress president Sonia Gandhi was at her combative best following Advani's "illegitimate" remark, which he later retracted.

It being the first day for Sushilkumar Shinde as leader of the Lok Sabha, Gandhi virtually took the reins in her hands and signalled party men to protest vociferously.

Gandhi was seen strongly objecting to the remark, apparently seeking its withdrawal, and her proactiveness energised party MPs as also those from DMK and Trinamool Congress to counter the BJP.

Her aggressive stance prompted Shinde, as also parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, to play on the front foot by assailing the BJP leader over his comments and asking him to make amends.

Gandhi, who is heading the UPA for the last eight years, was never seen in such a mood since Congress came to power via the coalition route in 2004.

Even after the House was adjourned for lunch, the UPA chairperson was seen interacting with MPs and ministers on the issue and making it clear that the Congress and the UPA would not take things lying down on the matter.

Earlier when the House was not in session, Gandhi had sent out a stern message to party MPs from Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh as she was heard telling them that they should not embarrass the party by waving placards and raising slogans in the House.

Her remarks came shortly after the MPs had waved placards demanding a separate Telangana which, along with disturbances on other issues, led to the adjournment of the House for the first time.

By Mistake, He just said 2009 instead of 2008 which he clarified later.

The party said Advani had got the year wrong and that it was 2008 instead of 2009. "Advani stands by the word illegitimate. The UPA-I government survived in 2008 by using illegal means through cash-for-vote in the trust vote," Hussain said.